This invention relates generally to toys and relates more particularly to improvements in toy musical instruments.
The type of toy musical instrument with which this invention is concerned commonly includes a hollow, elongated tubular section through which air is directed when the toy is operated and a hollow, open-ended turret section joined to the tubular section so that the hollow interiors of the turret and tubular sections are in communication with one another and so that the open end of the turret section opens to one side of the tubular section. The instrument further includes a resonating membrane operatively positioned within the turret section and a retainer attached to the turret section member for releasably securing the membrane within the turret section. By removing the retainer, access is provided to the membrane for purposes of cleaning or replacement. An instrument of the aforedescribed type is commonly referred to as a kazoo, and an example of such an instrument is shown and described in U.S. Pat. 1,354,959.
For purposes of releasably securing the membrane within the turret section, the turret section and retainer are commonly adapted to cooperate with one another in an easy-to-assemble arrangement permitting the membrane to be initially positioned within the turret section and the retainer subsequently secured therein to thereby sandwich the membrane between opposing surfaces of the turret section and retainer. Such an arrangement can be a bayonet-type arrangement, such as is shown and described in the referenced patent wherein the retainer defines outwardly-directed projections and the inner surface of the turret section defines cam-like bayonet grooves for guidably accepting the projections when the retainer is installed within the turret section. In order to install the retainer, the retainer is inserted through the open end of the turret section while the projections are received by openings in the bayonet grooves and the retainer is subsequently rotated in a predetermined rotational direction relative to the turret section from an initial position at which the retainer is loosely fitted within the turret section to another position at which the retainer is positioned in a relatively snug-fitting relationship with the turret section. In order to remove the retainer the retainer, is simply rotated relative to the turret section in the direction opposite the direction rotated during installation to section aforesaid initial position and withdrawn through the open end of the section turret section.
Inasmuch as children play with instruments of the aforedescribed type, it is desirable to render such instruments safe for use by children. To this end, it is desirable to provide such an instrument with a membrane-securing arrangement which cannot be easily disassembled by children who may subsequently injure themselves with the retainer by careless handling or by placing it within the mouth.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved toy musical instrument of the aforedescribed type having a membrane-securing arrangement which cannot be easily disassembled by a child.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an instrument which is economical to manufacture and effective in operation.